Lonny Szprinc, 33, has not paid a cent in rent for three years. And he is not exactly sure of where he will be living next - except it will be a lovely big house in Elwood or Albert Park.

''I tend to work mainly around the bay,'' he said.

What Mr Szprinc calls ''work'', other people might call - and we say this with respect- ''freeloading''.

There is always food in the pantry, often a pool out the back, and sometimes a wine cellar - all of which are Mr Szprinc's to enjoy.

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''The houses are huge and I just keep to a couple of rooms, kick back on the couch,'' he said.

It is fine for Mr Szprinc to have his friends pop by, as long as it doesn't get rowdy. ''I'm not expected to put my social life on hold - you just have to be sensible.''

All he has to do is walk the dogs, clean out the kitty litter, air out the rooms and tidy the cushions before heading out to the next assignment. But what about cleaning the toilet?

''My clients often have a cleaner coming in once a week,'' he said.

Traditionally, Mr Szprinc is a house-sitter - someone who minds the mansion when the owners are on holiday. In reality, he is a live-in pet babysitter for people who don't want to put Fluffy in a cattery. For one thing, cats and dogs get rattled when removed from familiar surrounds. Also, there are other pets' fleas to think about.

House-sitting is normally the province of trustworthy pensioners who need somewhere to stay on the cheap. How Mr Szprinc, a third-year student of nutritional medicine, made house-sitting a full-time job comes down to networking, great references and being likeable.

''When people meet me, they trust me. That's what it takes,'' he said. ''For me, well, it fits in with my student lifestyle.'' Read: relative poverty.

Mr Szprinc thought he would abandon house-sitting once he graduated, but now, with the end of his schooling just a few months away, he is not sure. ''I have so many regular clients, I wouldn't want to let them down.''

Plus, the idea of paying rent lacks appeal: ''I had an apartment when I first started, but I was never there. It was a waste of money.''

Occasionally, there are two or three days between jobs when he visits his parents or friends, but otherwise ''I get lucky, because when one job finishes, another begins.''

Mr Szprinc's first client was a friend with two dogs. ''People wondered what he'd done with the dogs when he was away and he told them about me. It snowballed from there,'' he said.

Mr Szprinc is a freelancer, but the growing demand for pet-sitters has seen a dozen agencies spring up in Melbourne in the past decade or so.

Former school teacher Ruth Myers opened one of the first agencies, Happy House Sitters, 14 years ago. Potential sitters pay her a fee of between $59 and $139 to be on her online register.

The growing competition means Ms Myers - like Mr Szprinc - endlessly networks for business. She puts the word out among vets, groomers and pet shops.

''For the house-sitters to secure a place, they need to do well in an interview with the house owner,'' she said. ''Once they've shown they can do a good job, they pick up repeat business.''